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With more police presence on school campuses, FL students need to know their rights
A pupil is approached by a police officer at school, and the officer asks to search the student’s bag. Can the student refuse to consent to the search? Is a police officer required to call a pupil’s parent before the student is questioned? When does school discipline become an infringement of students’ rights? With a […]
Journaling to ease anxiety: Students young and old need mental health support during COVID school days
In the first week of the new school year, first-grade teacher Chloe Bonnell was working with her students on a self-care journal to go over five things you can do when you are overwhelmed or have anxiety. The journals were a key way to help her young kids get through the first days of a […]
State of emergency for Escambia, Santa Rosa counties, in preparation for Hurricane Sally
UPDATE: Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday expanded an executive order related to Hurricane Sally to include the counties of Escambia, Santa Rosa, Bay, Calhoun, Franklin, Gadsden, Gulf, Holmes, Jackson, Liberty, Okaloosa, Walton, and Washington. With Hurricane Sally rolling into the Gulf of Mexico, Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday declared a state of emergency for Escambia […]
Miami-Dade and Broward schools prepare for brick-and-mortar instruction, despite COVID-19
Starting Monday, Florida’s largest public school districts — Miami-Dade and Broward — will begin preparing the opening of brick-and-mortar schools, following virtual instruction at the start of the academic year. The decision came as Gov. Ron DeSantis officially moved Miami-Dade and Broward counties into “phase two” — effective Monday — of what’s been called the […]
DeSantis strongly hints at increasing restaurant capacity for indoor dining
Gov. Ron DeSantis hinted Thursday that increasing restaurant capacity for indoor dining may happen soon, though no definitive plans have been announced. Restaurants are still considered at 50 percent capacity indoors — which DeSantis considers arbitrary. It also means a loss of revenues and furloughs or layoffs of staff. Outdoor dining remains. At the same […]
Controversial vaping regulation bill lands on DeSantis’ desk, creating a political conundrum for the governor
UPDATE: As of 8:52 p.m. Tuesday, Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed CS/CS/CS/SB 810, saying that banning certain vaping flavors would lead to higher cigarette use among consumers and negatively affect Florida businesses. “Reducing the use of all nicotine-related products, including vaping, among our youth is an important goal, but this will not be achieved by eliminating […]
Cops on campuses are supposed to keep kids safe, but may do more harm than good, study finds
In 2018, the Florida Legislature passed the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act with the intention of curbing school violence following the Parkland shooting. The law promised either a law enforcement officer, armed staff, or armed private security at all public schools. A year or so later, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill […]
Cyberattacks give Miami-Dade public schools a rough start to the new academic year
Miami-Dade County Public Schools — the largest school district in Florida — is struggling with cyberattacks on its online learning platform, causing additional stress for thousands of students and families in the first few days of the new school year. The school system is one of the few districts with permission from the Florida Department […]
‘We’re fully open’ for the new school year, amid COVID-19, lawsuits and more than a million students in class
Most of Florida’s 67 school districts opened for in-person instruction Monday heading into an uncertain school year amid the COVID-19 pandemic and against the backdrop of a lawsuit that has national implications. Overall, 1.1-million students attended in-person instruction in traditional classroom settings, according to the Department of Education. Meanwhile, students of families that opted for […]
At least four state lawmakers have become ill from COVID-19; some are in election campaigns
At least four Florida lawmakers have tested positive for COVID-19 since July, leading to questions about how the 2021 legislative session might function in a COVID-19 environment. The session begins March 2, 2021. On Saturday, Rep. Chris Latvala announced on Facebook that he had tested positive for COVID-19. He’s a Republican that represents part of […]
Crucial school reopening lawsuit isn’t headed yet to FL Supreme Court
Following hearings and lower court rulings, a crucial school reopening lawsuit appeared to be headed to the Florida Supreme Court. But that didn’t happen. As of Friday, the First District Court of Appeal in Tallahassee declined to send parts of the lawsuit on school openings to the Florida Supreme Court. The appellate court declined to […]
Judge brings power back to local school districts — again
Circuit Judge Charles Dodson ruled Thursday that local school boards have decision-making power to reopen schools while a court case over the issue is under appeal. That means local school officials, at least for now, can make decisions on what’s best for families and students rather than follow certain mandates from the state. The question […]